Buffalo, N.Y. — The Limousine, Bus, and Taxi Operators of Upstate New York (LBTOUNY) held its annual summertime part-business/part-social meeting August 13, when members and supporters came together to discuss association, local regulatory, and industry matters before enjoying a Buffalo Bison game at Sahlen Field.
The meeting included an update regarding the ongoing developments in state legislation, including discussions regarding bills that have since passed into law, that LBTOUNY President Kevin Barwell of Giorgio’s Limousine Service and other association board members have been embroiled in ever since last year’s tragic accident in Schoharie.
In addition to learning about the current operational landscape, enjoying the camaraderie of their peers, and reveling in the amenities and privacy of the Bison Suite that hosted the evening event, members were treated to some prizes that added a dash of excitement to the summertime social. A pass to the upcoming CD/NLA Show in Boston was raffled off and Sharon Beasley of 5 Star Limo of Elmira was the lucky winner.
The very next day, Barwell, LBTOUNY Legislative Chairman David Bastian of Towne Livery, Albany Director David Brown of Premiere Transportation, Syracuse Director Mark Crisafulli, and Joe DiDomenico of American Limousine headed to Syracuse for an afternoon meeting with New York Assembly Transportation Chair William Magnarelli to discuss pending legislation.
A handful of LBTOUNY members had met with Assemblyman Magnarelli in February to discuss the then-potential ban on limousines and the proposed legislation that came with it and to speak for legitimate operators who abide by the law and correct procedures; ultimately, the ban on limousines and additional legislation was removed from the New York State Budget at the time. Last month’s meeting allowed LBTOUNY representatives to give their feedback on nearly a dozen proposed regulations in a nearly two-hour meeting with the assemblyman, who Barwell says has been proceeding with fairness and feels "that he's doing his due diligence, and we support him on this."
“Assemblyman Magnarelli wants to take a close look at all the legislation and how it affects people, transportation, and the future of the limousine industry in the state,” he said. “Some of these bills are going to have an effect: We’re for the ones that relate to drug and alcohol testing, we just believe it should encompass all forms of transportation. If you want to make money off of driving people, then you should be regularly tested for drugs and alcohol. That’s essential to the driving industry.”
The ongoing issues of handling stretch limousines, however, is still up in the air.
“Some of those proposals are feasible; the rest, the technology isn’t there for what they want—like mandating air bags in the back of a limousine—and we really can’t agree with those,” Barwell explained. “For a lot of these laws, they had not one bit of input from our industry.”
A task force comprising individuals from the transportation industry was discussed, which Barwell said “we agree with, as long as members from the private sector are involved.”
Check out the October issue of Chauffeur Driven for expanded coverage regarding LBTOUNY's ongoing efforts to fight for New York state's legally operating transportation providers.
Visit lbtony.com for more information.
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